Four-wheeled truck



Nov. 13, 1923.

S. LOE

FOUR-WHEELED TRUCK 18. 1920" 7 Sheets-She et 1 Filed D80.

".1. W 7 6 U h in; i7tiarn y Nov. 13 1923.

s. LQE

FOUR-WHEELED TRUCK Filed Dec.

18. 1920 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 1,474,198 s. LOE

FOUR-WHEELED TRUCK Filed Dec. 18. 1920 7 sheets sheet 5 Nov. 13 1923.

Jyver Loe.

, :51 M 19 711? flfforney III S. LOE

FOUR-WHEELED TRUCK Filed Dec.

Nov. 13 1923.

Nov.- 13 1923.

S. LOE

FOUR-WHEELED TRUCK Filed Dec. 18. 1920 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 fin/enforc-Syver Zoe.

Patented Nov. 13, 1923.

UNITED STATES SYVEB LOE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

roUa-wnnnnnn TRUCK.

Application filed December 18, 1920. Serial No. 431,600.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Srvna Lon, a citizen of the United Statesfresiding.at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Four- Wheeled Trucks;and I do hereby'declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it ap ertains to make and use the same.

y present invention relates generally to I motor-propelled vehicles andhas for its ob- 44 of Fig. 3;

ject to provide improved transmission mechanism therefor; The inventionis in the nature of an improvement on or refinement of the constructiondisclosed and claimed in my prior patent No. 1,349,074, of date August10, 1920, entitled Transmission mechanism. Both the mechanism of myprior patent and of. the present application are particularly adaptedand especially intended foruse in transmitting power from the propellingmotor to the four wheels of the vehicle, and both make unnecessary and,in fact, eliminate the use of a differential gear in the drivingconnections between the traction wheels on the opposite sides of thevehicle. The present improved transmission mechanism, however, provideshighly important, novel and improved features over the earlierconstruction, all as will be hereinafter more fully described anddefined in'the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a four-wheel truck embodying my invention, thebody thereof being removed;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken approximately on the line3-3 of.

Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail in section on the line Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionapproximately on the line 55 of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away andsome parts being removed;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 66 of Fig.1, some parts being shown infull;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 7-7 of 2,some parts being broken away;

Fig. 8 isa transverse vertical section taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7,some parts being broken away and some parts being shown in full; I

Fig, 9 is a vertical section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1, some partsbeing broken away and some parts being shown in full;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section on the line l010 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of parts corresponding to parts shown in Figs. 9and 10, but which are located on the left-hand side of the machine;

Fig. 12 is a detail with parts broken away, showing one of the wheelhubs with the cap removed and with spokes broken away; and

Fig. 13 is a transverse section on the line 1313 of Fig. 1, but showingthe bottom of the vehicle body in position.

The body of the vehicle is not shown. except that in Figs. 2, 3 and 13the platform or bottom thereof is indicated by the numeral 14. Thisbottom will be secured to a suitable framework, which, as g shown, ,ismade up of main laterally spaced metal beams 15 andtransverse tie-bars15*. This frame, as shown, is supported from the front axle structure byfront springs 16, and from the rear axle structure by rear springs 17.The motor-propelled vehicle here illustrated is of the type generallydesignated as a truck, but may be of any other type, such,

for example, as what is usually designated as an automobile or as atractor.

As preferably designed, the rear axle structure comprises a cast steelrear axle 18-19, made in sections and the sections being rigidlyconnected by approximately cylindrical portions 20 and by detachableheads 21 and 22. The elements 20, 21 and 22 afford gear housings, (seeparticularly Figs. 1, 7 and 8 and the end sections 19 have sleeve-likeprojections 23 on which the hubs 24 of the rear wheels 25 are journaled.preferably by roller bearings 26.

The rear axle shaft is made in two sections 27, that are extendedthrough the sleeves 23 and axle sections 19 into-the respective gearhousings of boxes 20. At their outer ends, the axle shaft sections 27are provided with heads 28 that are notched to engage lugs on theinteriors of the outer ends of the respective rear wheel hubs 24, sothat said shaft sections 2.7 will independently transmit driving motionto said rear wheels. Said hubs 24 are provided with 'detachable caps- 29that normally enclose the heads 28.

At their inner ends, the axle shaft sections 27 have rigidly securedbevel gears 30 that mesh with bevel gears 31 carried by short shafts 32,which latter extend longitudinally of the machine and are journaled inthe heads 21 and 22 preferably by roller bearings 33 of the Timken orcone type. At their front ends, the shafts 32 are connected by knucklejoints 34 to independent rear transmission shafts 35, which are drivenin a manner hereinafter described.

The front axle structure, as shown, comprises a cast steel or forgedfront. axle 36 of the type generally used in trucks, and automobiles,the same having forked ends to which "the forked ends of stub axles 37are pivotally connected by vertically aligned pivot bolts or screws 38,(see particularly Figs. 1, 9 and 10). These stub axles 37 havesleeve-lilxe portions 39- on which the "hubs 40, of the front wheels t1,are journaled preferably by roller bearings 42. The front axle shafts 43are journaled in and extended through the sleeves 39 and, at their outerends, are provided with heads 4A; having notches that engage lugs on theinterior of the outer ends of said hubs 39, so that shafts will transmitmotion independently to the two front wheels. The hubs 39 are providedwith a removable hub gap 45.

The pivoted stub axles 37, within the forked end of the front axle 36,are formed with box-like gear housings 426 having removable heads 47.Within the gear housings 46, the front axle shafts 43 have rigidlysecured bevel gears 48 that-mesh with bevel gears 49 on short shafts 50.The shafts 50 extend longitudinally of the machine and, by knucklejoints 51, are connected to corresponding front transmission shafts 52that are constructed and operated as hereinafter more fully described.

Preferably and as shown, the motor for propelling the vehicle is aninternal combustion multi-cylinder engine 53, which is properly anchoredto the front portion of the machine frame with its crank shaft extendedlongitudinally thereof and preferably connected by a knuckle joint 54 toa main or common transmission shaft 55. The rear portion of this shaft55 is journaled in suitand 3'). The rear end of the shipper rod 58 isformed with a lateral loop 58, that engages a groove in the hub oftthefriction wheel 57.

The peripheral friction wheel 57 co-operates with two opposing facefriction wheels 61, (see particularly Figs. 1 and 5), that are mountedon the inner end of axially aligned worm drive shafts 62. These shafts62 are journaled in bearings on box-like gear housings 63 that arerigidly secured to the opposite sides of the main frame and do endtherefrom. As shown and preferab y, the shafts 62 are journaled to thehousings 63 by conical roller bearings 64 of the Timken type and whichhearings will resist end thrusts on said shafts.

To permit the face friction wheels 61 to be independently pressed intoand out of frictional contact with the friction wheel 57, said wheels 61are connected to the respective shafts 62 by keys 61 that 'peit slightsliding or small movements of said wheels 61 on said shafts.

Each shaft 62, within the co-operating housing 63, has a worm 65 thatengages a worm gear 66 secured to a tubular shaft 67 that isjournaled'in suitable bearings 68, preferably of the Timken type,suitably mounted in respective housings 63. The tubular shafts 67 extendlongitudinally of the main frame, both forward and rearward of theco-operating worm gear 66.

Loosely journaled in the front and rear ends of the tubular shafts 67and in suitable front and rear bearings 69, as shown of the Timken type,mounted on the front and rear ends of the housings 63, are short shafts70. The two front shafts 70 are connected by knuckle joints 71 to therear ends of the front transmission shafts 52 and, in fact, constituteparts or elements of what may be properly distinguished as the frontwheel drive shafts. lit is now important to note that these front wheeldrive shafts are longitudinally extensible and contractible, and aremade so preferably by the construction best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Byreference to these two views, it will be noted that the shafts 52 areformed with overlapped semi-cylindrical portions 35 that are telescopedinto a sleeve 72 that is rigidly secured to one of the shaft sections,but free for telescopic movements on the other shaft section.

The two rear shafts 70 are connected by knuckle joints 73 to the frontends of the respective rear transmission shafts 35, and, in fact,constitute elements of what may be designated as the rear wheel driveshaft.

Primarily, the front and rear shafts 7 0 are free for independentrotation in respect to the ends of said two shafts 67, I provide fourclutch devices. As shown, each of these clutch devices comprises a pairof clutch elements or half clutches 74 and 75, the former of which arerigidly secured on the respective shaft 70 and the latter of which arekeyed to rotate with but to slide upon said shafts 67. Preferably, theclutch elements 74 are utilized as brake elements and, hence, theirperipheries are made cylindrical so as to afford brake drums, and theselatter are surrounded by co-operatin metallic brake straps 76 anchoredto the housing 63 at 77 and provided at their split ends withoutstanding ears through which brake-setting screws 78 are arranged toWork, as presently described, (see particularly Figs. 1, 3 and 6). Thesebrake-setting screws 78 are provided with upstanding arms 79. The frontand rear arms 79, that operate the front and rear clutches on the sameside of the machine, are connected in pairs to jointed rods 80. The tworods 80, at their front ends, are peripherally connected to dependingarms 81 of a sleeve 82 that is mounted for rocking movements on a crossshaft 83 mounted in suitable bearings 84. on the frame bars 15, (seeparticularly Figs. 3 and 13). The sleeve 82 has a third depending arm 85that is connected by a rod or link S6 to the depending arm of a footpedal 87 suitably pivoted to the platform 14 in position to be engagedby the drivers foot.

Loosely mounted on the shaft 83 is a second sleeve 88 provided with twoupstanding arms 89 and 90. Said shaft 83, likewise, is provided with twoupstanding arms 91 and 92. To the arm 90'0f the sleeve 88 and to the arm92 of the shaft 83, are pivoted laterally spaced rearwardly extendedopcrating rods or links 93, the functions of which will presently benoted.

The arm 89 of said sleeve 88 and the arm 91 of the shaft 83 arepivotally connected to laterally spaced forwardly extended links 94. thefront ends of which are independentl v pivoted, (see particularly Fi 1and 3), to the lower arms of bell cran s 95 that are intermediatelypivoted at 96 to suitable hearings on the platform ormachine frame.

lVorking between the forwardly extended I arms of the two bell cranks 95is a so-called controller cam 97, as shown in cylindrical form, directlysecured to the steering post shaft 98, which latter is-of the usual orany suitable arrangement and,at its lower end, is provided with a crankarm 99 that operates through the spindle-connecting rod 100 to impartparallel steering movements to the front wheels in a manner well knownand not necessary for the purposes of this case to further consider.

Associated with each of the two laterally spaced face friction wheels 61is what is herein designated as primary and secondary friction wheelshifters. The iiiain element of the primary shifter is in the form of .aI

sleeve 101 journaled on a sleeve-like extensions of the housing 63,provided with an upstanding arm 102 and havin external threads. The mainelement of t e secondary shifter is in the form of a nut-acting side ofthe housing 63. As shown,a-thrustacting ballbearing 105 is interposedbetween the sleeve 101 and the hub of the adjacent friction wheel 61.The arms 102, of

the two laterally spaced primary shifters v or sleeves 101, arepivotally'conuected to the rear sections of the respective foot-actuatedbrake-operating rods 80.

For shifting the movable half clutches 75 so that the front and rearclutches on the same side of the machine will be simultaneouslyoperated, I provide a shipper lever 106 for each of said four halfclutches. These levers, as shown, are pivoted at their lower ends to thebottoms'of the housings 63 and are provided with pivoted sleeves 107that are swiveled in grooves in the hubs of the respective half clutches75. At their upper ends, the levers 106 are pivoted to the ends of rackbars 108. The rack bars 108" that are on the same side of the machine,engage diametrically opposite portions of aspur gear or pinion 109 andare held in proper mesh with said pinion by suitable guide rollers 110mounted within the cooperating housing 63. The twopinions 109 areprovided with axially aligned shafts 111 that extend through the innersides of the housings 63 and are provided with upstanding arms 112 thatare connected by links 113 to the rear ends of the co-operating rods 93.The arms 104 of the secondary shifter or sleeve 103 are also connectedto the rear ends of the co-operating rods 93 by short, links 114. t

Operation.

ed sleeves 101 to move inward and press. both friction wheels 61 againstthe friction wheel 57, thus causing all four traction wheel to be driventhrough the frictional transmission mechanism and co-operating devices.Here it may be stated that the sleeves 101, on opposite sides of themachine, are of reverse threa'dand, in the arrangement illustrated theright-hand sleeve 101 has right-hand threads and the left-hand sleeve101 has lefthand threads.

"When the front end of the foot pedal 87 is pressed downward, the arms79 and 102, on oth sides of the machine, will be rocked rearward,thereby simultaneously setting all four brakes, towit: the front andrear brakes on*both sides, and simultaneously moving both frictionwheels 61 out of frictional driving contact with the friction 57.

When the controller cam 97 is set as shown in Fig. 3, the front wheelsof the vehicle will be set for straight ,ahead travel the and the frontends of both bell cranks 95 will be forced downward thereby through theconnections described, setting the arms 104 and 112, on both sides ofthe machine, in their rearmost positions. When the arms 104 are in saidrearmost ositions,

will act on the sleeves 103 of the sec on ary friction wheel shiftersand cause the same to 'ress both friction wheels 61 in frictionaldriving contact with the friction wheel 57; and when the arms 112 are insaid rear positions, they will operate through the pinions 109, racks108 and clutch shi ti levers 106 to cause all four of the clutchifements 75 to engage the co-operating clutch elements 74, thus causinga1 four ofthe traction wheels to be driven.

When, for instance, the-front wheels are turned to cause the vehicle toturn toward the right, the high portion of the cam groove 97, of thecontroller cam 97, will operate on the right-hand bell crank 95 and,throu h the connections described, will move t e arms 104 and 112 on theright-hand side of the machine forward to their extreme ositions. Whenthis arm 104, on the mghthand side, ismoved forward, it causes thesecondary shifting element or sleeve 103 to release the right-handfriction wheel 61 from driving contact with the friction wheel 57 andthus disconnects the right-hand front and rear traction wheels from thedriving mechanism. On the leithand side of the machine, the frictionwheel 61 is left in driving contact with the wheel 57 and the front andrear clutches 747 5, on that side of the machine, are left in drivingengagement so that the machine, in turning a curve toward the right,will be driven entirely by the front and rear left side traction wheels.

In turning the machine on a curve toward the left, the reverse of theabove described action will take place, that is, the left-hand frictionwheel 61 and the two left-hand clutches will be thrown out of action sothat the machine will then be driven solely by the newness thrown out ofaction, whereas, normally, the,

said clutches are in action, that is, their elements are engaged.

It is advlsable that the front clutches, which transmit to the frontwheels, be thrown out of action a little ahead of the clutches thatdrive the rear wheels or conversely. Preferably, the arrangement is suchthat the front wheels will be thrown out of action ahead of the rearwheels and this ma be easily accomplished by setting the ront clutchesso that they will release a little quicker than the rear clutches. Inconnection with this arrangement, the cam groove 97*, of the controllercam 97, (see Fig. 3), is provided with an interrupted intermediateportion which slightly delays the time that the rear clutches will taketo go out of action after the front clutches have gone out of action, orhave been released. Here it should be further noted that the lower 180degrees or rear portion of the cam groove 97 is in a plane that isperpendicular to the axis of the steering post shaft 98, so that nomovement will be imparted to the bell crank 95 toward which the saidlower rear portion of the cam groove is moved. This is the reason thatthe clutches and the friction wheel 61, that are on the greater are ofthe curve being turned by the machine, are left in action, while thoseon the smaller arc of said curve are thrown out of action bythe risingportion of said cam groove 97*.

As is obvious, the machine will be driven in a forward direction whenthe friction wheel 57 is forward of the coincidentaxis of the wheels 61and will be driven backward when said wheel 57 is adjusted to the rearof said axis.

What I claim is:

1. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with an axle, of gearboxes pivotally connected to the ends of said axle and provided withoutstanding sleeve-like axles, wheels journaledon said axles, axleshafts extended through said sleeve-like axles and connected to thewheel hubs at their outer ends, driving shafts journaled in said gearboxes and extending transversely of the axes of said axle shafts, andbevel gears located in said gear boxes and connecting said drivingshafts to said axle shafts, said gear boxes, shafts and gears allpartaking of the oscillatory movements of the wheels in the steeringactions.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination withlongitudinally exclutches, one for each of said transmissionconnections, a common controller having connections for simultaneouslyoperatln clutches on the same side of the vehicle an for automaticallythrowing out of actionclutches on that side toward which the vehicle isset to turn, and means also controlled by the steerin movement toautomatically throw out 0 action the face friction wheel that is on thatside toward which the vehicle is set to turn.

4. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with a frame and frontand rear traction wheels and a motor on said frame, of a motor-drivenperipheral friction wheel,

opposed face friction wheels enga cable with opposite sides of saidperiphera friction wheel, inde endent transmission connections for theour wheels of said vehicle, clutches, one for each of said transmissionconnections, a common controller having connections for simultaneouslyoperatin clutches on the same side of the vehicle an for automaticallythrowing out of action clutches on that side toward which the vehicle isset to turn, a friction brake, one for each of-said wheel drivingconnections, and a secondary friction wheel shifter, one for each ofsaid face friction wheels, 0 erative to throw the latter out of action wen the brakes are set.

5. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with traction wheels onthe op 0- site sides of the vehicle, a motor-propel ed peripheralfriction wheel, cooperating opposed face friction wheels engageable withopposite sides of said peripheral friction wheel, worm-equipped shaftsindependently driven by said face friction wheels, worm gears drlven bysaid worms, right and left clutches and co-operating transmissiondevices for independently driving said traction wheels, and means forapproximately simultaneously throwing the clutch on either side of thevehicle and the face friction wheel on the same side out of action.

. 6. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with traction wheelson the 0p 0- site sides of the vehicle, a motor-propel ed peripheralfriction wheel, co-operating opposed face friction wheels engageablewith opposite sides of said perip eral friction, w eel, worm-equippedshafts independently driven by said face friction wheels, worm gearsdriven by said worms, right and left clutches and co-operatingtransmission devices for independently driving said traction wheels,means for approximatel simultaneously throwin the clutch on eit er sideof the vehicle an the face friction wheel on the same side out ofaction, brake devices on opposite sides of the vehicle, and means forautomatically throwing said face friction wheels out of action when saidbrakes are thrown into action. i

7. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with traction wheels onthe op 0- site sides of the vehicle, a motor-propelled peripheralfriction wheel, co-operating opposed face friction wheels on ageablewith opposite sides of said peripheral friction wheel, worm-equippedshafts independently driven by said face friction wheels, worm gearsdrlven by said worms, right and left, clutches and co-opera'tingtransmission devices for independently driving said traction wheels,means for approximately simultaneously throwin the clutch on either sideof the vehicle an the face friction wheel on the same side out ofaction, primary and secondary friction wheel shifters operative on eachface friction wheel, a steering shaft having connections for oscillatinthe front wheels of the vehicle to steer e same, a controller cam onsaid steering shaft, camoperated connections operative automatically tothrow out of action the clutch on that side toward which the vehicle isset to turn and to operate said secondary friction wheel shifters on thesame side of the vehicle, and a brake-actuating device havingconnections operative on said secondary friction wheel shifters to throwboth face friction wheels out of action when the brakes are set,

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa-

